Soundtrack Review: The Avengers (2012)

The Avengers Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the film score The Avengers by Alan Silvestri.

“I’m not sure what happened here as it has small nods to A-Team, Captain America and Even the mighty Judge Dredd in the score, but with so small dosages that it barely registers.”

Is there a bigger summer blockbuster this year? I don’t think so. Already the reviewers have fallen in love with the film and who can blame them when the mighty Joss Whedon is writing and directing. They have managed to assemble Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk and more to save the earth from Loki and his army. The score has been a highly anticipated one specially when you consider that Alan Silvestri did such a great job with Captain America last year.

Track List

1. Arrival

60

2. Doors Open From Both Sides

40

3. Tunnel Chase

80

4. Stark Goes Green

60

5. Helicarrier

100

6. Subjugation

60

7. Don’t Take My Stuff

40

8. Red Ledger

60

9. Assault

80

10. They Called It

40

11. Performance Issues

80

12. Seeing, Not Believing

80

13. Assemble

60

14. I Got a Ride

80

15. A Little Help

80

16. One Way Trip

80

17. A Promise

100

18. The Avengers

100

To be over-excited = So excited about something that you behave in a silly way. At least according to Macmillan Dictionary. It was the actual state I was in when it was announced that the score would be composed by Alan Silvestri who did such a great job on Captain America last year. Watching the trailers, seeing Captain America there, and then you have Thor, Iron Man and loads of things to get excited about, you can’t blame a poor soul for being over-excited. This should be an easy job for anyone really, all those superheroes, they need themes right? Identities!

As luck would have it, I got a chance to have a proper listen to it before it’s release. To use an over-used phrase, being like a kid in a candy store doesn’t even compare to the excitement I felt as I was about to play it. Then reality hit me, and it hit me hard, with superhero strength. What is this? Why is most of the score focused on creating music that doesn’t excite me at all? Why? Just listen to the first couple of cues ‘Arrival’ and ‘Doors Open From Both Sides’ and you know what I mean. It is simply not very fun to listen to, and I get a feeling that under-excited might be a better word to describe my feelings after listening to this.

I’m not sure what happened here as it has small nods to A-Team, Captain America and Even the mighty Judge Dredd in the score (and more), but with so small dosages that it barely registers. The really great cues I can count on one hand because there are only 3. ‘Helicarrier’ excites me quite a bit with those big blaring horns and thematic excellence, just like the good old Alan Silvestri came back to show us how it’s done. ‘A Promise’ starts off as a very sweet track with guitar and strings and later blends well with the more dark and sinister. The Avengers theme sounds really good here I must admit. Lastly the cue ‘The Avengers’ is a great theme for The Avengers, even if it does go a little 80s pop-sequence at us for a few seconds. These are the kind of cues I was expecting all over the score, but it wasn’t to be.

Have Spotify? Listen to the score:

Conclusion

Like James Newton Howards’ Green Lantern last year, Alan Silvestri’s The Avengers is the biggest disappointment so far, and possibly might be all year despite it being a decent score. Most of the tracks here doesn’t really interest or excite me at all unfortunately and it is safe to say that comes as a huge surprise to me, specially after Captain America last year.

Related Posts

Another Marvel movie gets a less than memorable score. No-one seems to be able to recapture the grandeur of the first Superman and Elfman Batman scores.

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Yeah it’s sad and I don’t think it will improve in the future. The best we can hope for is something cool, something that’s not boring. Still enjoy Zimmer & Howard’s Batman scores though, a kind of superhero score that doesn’t follow the formula.

http://flavors.me/dnwilliams dnwilliams

I agree with you. It’s SUCH a shame. I wish they had Giacchino or JNH on this.

That said the score for Batman Begins is one of my favorites of all time, and I liked Elfman’s efforts for Hulk and Spider-Man a great deal.

¿¿it´s fault of the director or the composer?? Because a heroe need a great theme. What they are thinking?? Even the videogames have better themes. I want to remeber the movie and feel like and avenger¡¡

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Probably both

http://flavors.me/dnwilliams dnwilliams

I was listening to a podcast that said they think the fault lies with bringing Silvestri onto the project late in the game. I an totally buy that.

http://www.facebook.com/AV1020 Andres Vargas

I actually enjoyed it more than Captain America for some reason.

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Well you’re not the only one. A few people feel that way. I have the opposite feelings.

http://www.facebook.com/AV1020 Andres Vargas

I tend to wait til I see the film and how the score fits it then i’ll judge it.

scientist88

Love the review, but hate the fact that “the track is currently not available in the United States” on Spotify!

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Yep, it’s an annoying fact of licensing. I get that too sometimes.

Calahoon

The best is certainly A Promise the cue coming from that is fantastic

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

I really like that cue too, just wish there were a lot more great cues like that.

The Avengers is indisputably the ultimate superhero movie to score a bunch of great themes for but nnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooo… Sure, it isn’t bad but considering the circumstances it is ridonkeyles! I strongly urge Silvestri to attend his local chocolate factory and go fudge himself.

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Yep, I can’t believe we’re stuck with this score…

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Glad you enjoyed it. I’m sure it will be better on film than on album.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000909739457 Tyga Austin

Your review is right on track. This is what I concluded in my review: “Overall,
the “Avengers” score is not a disappointment but a missed opportunity
for the composer to deliver a fully satisfying score. Silvestri
delivered a more enjoyable soundtrack for “Captain America” and with
“Avengers” he truly had the opportunity to bring together all the
amazing musical opportunities for each of the Marvel heroes. This would
have been the score to truly place Silvestri in line with house-hold
name franchise composers such as Hans Zimmer, Williams and Horner.
Instead, we get a serviceable score devoid of its own unique identity or
brand. Danny Elfman’s music for the original “Spiderman” series and
scores from the X-Men trilogy possess more superior music; even Marvel’s
newest X-Men entry, “X-Men: First Class” has a more modern and
sophisticated edge with a catchy main theme few can stop humming after
the end credits. This is what we needed in “Avengers”, a theme and
sound that is exclusive to the beloved Marvel heroes. As a fan of comic
book movie soundtracks I was truly anticipating a score of more
sophistication. Sadly, what Silvestri has delivered is large scale
music destined to be lost among 2012’s most bland offerings.”

It truly is one of the most disappointing scores in years.

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Luckily the film delivers…

Chiaraaa

I completely agree. I came out of the theatre thinking, ‘Well I remember absolutely nothing about the score’ ….which is really odd for me. I was disappointed.

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

It was mostly drowned in special FX, not that it would have mattered though. Probably for the best.

Gabbe05

Anyone know what the song is called when Iron man Saves captain America? Its a rock song, probably from black sabbath or AC/DC

Apxstitch

It would seem I am in the minority here because I thought it was excellent! I thoroughly enjoy listening to it and I can’t wait to see the movie to see how well it fits.

I thoroughly enjoyed the track for hulk.. It sounds good in theater:-)

http://soundtrackgeek.com soundtrackgeek

Too high for me

Sreekiran

This score I heard after watching the film. I could say the theme score, was the best of the rest. Other scores were not really that impressive. I am under a feeling that, such a great film of superhero mixture, Why not bring Hans Zimmer or Michael Giacchino for the score. They know to use the best for the blockbuster film. Silvestri’s score is not the best for the film. I expected a little more powerful soundtrack.